How do I access top marks in an extended response for A-level religious studies?

Perhaps the most crucial piece of information you should remember when composing extended responses in essays is the importance of your own argument! Whilst you may spend the majority of your revision time with your flashcards trying to remember who said what or memorizing key teachings or scripture, when it comes to writing the essay itself you need to be using this information in order to respond to the question effectively. Essays that achieve the top band of marks don't just repeat the bullet points they've been taught in the classroom, but present a response that carefully considers different approaches and reaches an informed decision.This is not to suggest that the content of the course is less important than your opinion: in fact, the subject knowledge that you bring to the table is going to be an integral part of your toolkit in arguing your point. In all specifications, greater value will be given to responses that can construct an argument for a perspective that's backed up with content and analysis of this content, rather than just asserting your own opinion or just listing facts. Therefore, in order to access the top level of marks in your essays, you need to be considering how you would evaluate the key themes and answer the key questions of your course. Practicing this before you see the questions of the exam or sit down to write your essay will really help in developing your own arguments and contributions, thus boosting your marks.